Since the opening match on 12 June 2014, the world’s eyes have been glued to Brazil as nations follow their teams’ progress through the World Cup. But behind the football lies a middle income country battling many problems including poverty and human rights.

Despite its positive development over the last decade, Latin America still faces challenges in overcoming social inequality. To tackle these discrepancies the EU launched in 2005 a programme of cooperation with Latin American Countries: EUROsociAL.

Gary Quince, who is nearing the end of his five years heading the EU Delegation to the African Union, shares his experiences and discusses the EU's support to the AU, touching on the gap between optimistic treaties and their implementation, joint programming and engaging with the private sector.

How can a simple bucket protect women and girls from sexual violence in the Central African Republic? For women talking to the International Rescue Committee, buckets are an essential part of the “dignity kits” they receive in displacement camps so they can avoid the perilous walk to communal bathrooms after dark.